| Wow - this is an interesting discussion and not at all about MT in CA!
Two things it brings to my mind. My son likes JRB also, and I think we heard that one should not use his songs at auditions because they are too hard for the accompanist to play, which we also heard about Sondheim. I hope I'm not getting my composers mixed up! My son enjoys music by both of these men. He also knows much more about it than I do.
In the discussion about MT programs, it's funny how we visited and looked at schools over about a 2 year period, and it is just now coming to light how different they all are in program offerings. We are so impressed with so many schools and think that many of them are wonderful. I can absolutely agree that what is best for one student may be totally different than what is best for another student. There are really no "best" programs but just different programs. I would encourage people following in our footsteps to concentrate on understanding the offerings and focuses of a program when you are visiting schools. Get down to details - what is studied in private voice lessons, how often and how long are the voice lessons, don't just ask if they get to take private voice.
Let me give you a few examples - for kids wanting MT - Student A wants to focus more on dance and is in love with Point Park, Student B wants that classical music focus and is determined to go to OCU, and Student C really wants to focus on acting in a program and is dying to get into Ithaca. I know that these are real examples of real people. These are just examples, and there are so many more.
You should still choose a wide range to audition for because the odds may be really bad at your favorite school. For example, it seems that CMU is a favorite of many kids who attend the summer program, but the reality is that hardly any of them will actually get into the selective college program. |